The Pakistan government has sent arrest warrants to deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been living in the UK for media treatment PTI reported on Friday.

Sharif, 70, was convicted in the Avenfield properties case on July 6, 2018, along with his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar. The three-time-premier was also sentenced for seven years in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case in December 2018 but he was bailed out in both the cases.

He has been in London since November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for medical treatment and the warrants have been sent through the Pak government’s mission in the UK’s capital.

Sharif was given eight weeks to return but failed to come back due to health complications, according to his lawyer. He was serving a seven-year prison sentence in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail before being allowed to go to the UK.

The Pakistan High Commission in London has received arrest warrants sent by the government for Sharif on Thursday, the Dawn newspaper reported. The sources added that all legal formalities and procedures would be followed.

Earlier, the assistant registrar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the foreign secretary to ensure the production of the former prime minister before the court on September 22.

The IHC earlier this week had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Sharif while dismissing his application seeking exemption from personal appearance in the hearing of appeals against his conviction in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield properties references.